Show-rack



(No Model.)

T. F. MoGANN. sa ow RACK.

No. 437,036. Patented se t. 23. 1890.

Wlt E5555 I "T vE tn UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. MOGANN, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOW- RAC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,036, dated September 23, 1890.

Application filed July 8, 1889. Serial No. 316,873. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. MOGANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and Comm onwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Show- Racks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to show-racks; and it consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter described and claimed, the object of my invention being to supply a convenient means of holding and displaying goods in a store show-window or other place and to adapt said means to be adjusted to a variety of positions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of my invention, showing the same supported upon vertical posts or rods; Fig. 2, a side elevation of one of the supporting-posts, the collar-and-ratchet segment, and the adjacent part of the notched arm, the head of the screw or pivot being removed to disclose the slot in the arm; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the other side of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an isometric view of a modifiedform of my invention; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the same, the dotted lines showing the arm in a raised position and showing the slot in two positions; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the other side of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

The vertical posts or rods A are supported in any usual and convenient manner. A collar B receives said rod and is held at any convenient height thereon by a set-screw O, which turns in a-threaded hole in said collar and thrusts against the rod A. A ratchet segment or toothed segment of a circle D is cast in one piece with or otherwise secured to the collar B.

An arm E is pivoted to the ratchet D, concentrically therewith, by a screw or stud d, which passes through a slot in said arm E into said segment. The slot e is inclined downward from the pivoted end of the arm E, as shown in Fig. 2, and a toothed plate 6 is secured to said arm in such a manner that its tooth or teeth c will engage the teeth of the segment D when the bottom of the slot e is in contact with the screw or stud d, and is retained in engagement with said segment by the weight of said arm, which causes said arm to turn upon the teeth e as 011 a fulcrum, and raise the lower end of said slot against said stud. The arm E is provided with aseries of notches e on its upper side to receive horizontal rods F, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, such rods being supported by a pair of arms E, arranged parallel with each other and in all respects alike.

Upon the rods F may be hung, for the purpose of display, goodssuch as 'silks, shawls, and other dry goodsor anyarticle may be suspended therefrom by means of cords, hooks, clips, or other well-known devices not of my invention. Then it is desired to change the angle which the arms E make with the vertical posts or rods A, the outer ends of said arms are lifted, allowing the top of the slot 6 to fall downward upon the stud d and the teeth 6 to be disengaged from the teeth of the segment. The arm E is then turned to the desired angle and the teeth 6 are again e11- gaged with the segmentteeth.

Obviously the teeth 6 might be replaced by merely one or more studs projecting fromthe same side of the arm E with the segment D, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6. In Figs. 1 to 3 the teeth of the segment are slightly hooking upward; but in Figs. 4 to 6 the teeth a are of equal length on both faces, and the tooth 'or stud c on the arm E is shaped to fit said teeth 6.

The slot 0' (shown in Figs. 5 and 6) serves the same purpose as the slot 6, (shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) but instead of being a straight inclined slot is bent in such a manner that the weight of the arm E, when the stud e is in engagement with the teeth a, raises the rear end of said arm until the bottom of the slot 6 is.

against the stud d, as above described, and the lower part of said slot eflbeing then nearly vertical or at about right angles to the axis of the arm, makes it necessary to raise the free end of said arm-to a considerable height before the stud 6 can be disengaged from the arc-shaped rack or segment D, the upper portion of said slot a extending backward from the stud or tooth e to allow the arm E to be drawn forward and draw said stud 6 out of engagement with the segment. The lower part of the slot a is preferably curved about the center of the stud or tooth 6 as shown, but may be straight. The modified form of the slot e avoids any danger of the arm becoming disengaged by its own weight when arranged at a considerable angle below a horizontal plane, which might happen with the slot 6.

Except in the particulars stated,the device shown in Figs. 4: to 6 is like that shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

In all cases the lower end of the slot is at a distance from the tooth on the arm less than the radius of the rack and the upper end of the slot is at a distance from said tooth greater than said radius.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the stationary arcshapedrack,mcans,substantiallyas described, for supporting the same in a vertical plane, a stud secured to said rack, concentrically therewith, and an arm provided with a slot through which said stud passes, and with a tooth to engage the teeth of said rack, the distance between the lower end of said slot and the tooth on said arm being less than the radius of said rack, and the distance between the upper end of said slot and the tooth on said arm being greater than such radius, to allow said tooth on said arm to be engaged with and disengaged from the teeth of said rack, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the stationary arcshaped rack, mean s,substantiallyas described,

for supporting the same in a vertical plane, a stud secured to said rack, concentrically therewith, and an arm provided with a slot, through which said stud passes, and with a tooth to engage the teeth of said rack, the lower part of said slot being curved concentrically with said tooth on said arm and being arranged at a distance from said tooth on said arm less than the radius of said rack, and the upper end of said slot extending backward from said tooth 011 said arm to allow said tooth on said arm to be engaged with and disengaged from the teeth of said rack, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a vertical standard, a collar adapted to receive said standard, a set-screw turningin said collar and thrusting against said standard, a stationary arc-shaped rack secured to said collar in a vertical plane, a stud secured to said rack, concentrically therewith, and an arm provided with a slot through which said stud passes, and with a tooth to engage the teeth of said rack, the distance between the lower end of said slot and the tooth on said arm beingless than the radius of said rack and the distance between the upper end of said slot and the tooth on said arm being greater than such radius, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 22d day of June, A. D. 1889.

THOMAS F. MCGANN.

\Vitnesscs:

D. W. HOWLAND, CHARLES M. BARNES. 

